CMHC Bylaws

BY-LAWS OF THE
CASCADE MODEL HELICOPTER CLUB

(Amended – July 11, 2015)

Article I. OFFICES

The principal office of the corporation shall be located at its principal place of business or such other place as the Board of Directors (“Board”) may designate. The corporation may have such other offices, either within or without the State of Washington, as the Board may designate or as the business of the corporation may require from time to time.

Article II. DUTIES OF CLUB OFFICERS

PRESIDENT: It shall be the duty of the Club President to preside over regular Club meetings and to formulate policy and procedures as stated in these By-Laws.

SECRETARY: It shall be the duty of the Club Secretary to keep minutes of Club Meetings, to notify the membership of upcoming regular and special meetings and events, to ensure continued renewal of the Club’s annual Charter from the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics), to keep a current listing of the Club’s Officers and Members and to correspond as necessary on Club business. The Club Secretary will occupy the Chair at any meeting not attended by the Club President.

TREASURER: It shall be the duty of the Club Treasurer to collect and disperse and keep current record of the Club’s assets, to post or issue, at least annually, an accounting of the Club’s funds for the preceding year and to provide an annual accounting of the Club’s activities, as well as any changes in the Club’s Constitution. The Treasurer will make incidental monetary outlays, with the approval of the Club Officers. The Treasurer will make Club records available to any Club Member upon request. The Club Treasurer will occupy the Chair at any meeting not attended by the Club President and the Club Secretary.

OTHER CLUB OFFICERS: Additional Club Officers can be elected at any time on an as-needed basis and their appropriate duties will be clearly stated at the time of initial nomination and election. If these additional offices are initiated mid-term, the filling of these offices shall be considered as one term in office, unless that term is of less than six (6) months duration.

SAFETY OFFICER, FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR and CONTEST DIRECTOR(S): The title of SAFETY OFFICER is strictly an honorary title that is bestowed upon a volunteer Club Member who is fully qualified to act as a safety monitor, and as such, is accepted by the membership of the Club. This honorary position is not an elected position and the Safety Officer in reality is not a Club Officer. The title of FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR is also a honorary title of a volunteer Club Member who is a fully qualified and experienced R/C Helicopter Pilot who is willing to teach and help others in the pursuit of becoming a qualified R/C helicopter pilot. The title of CONTEST DIRECTOR(S) is a volunteer position of a Club Member who is willing to act as such and has applied, paid the appropriate registration fees and been accepted as Contest Director by the AMA. The terms of said Safety Officer, Flight Instructor and Contest Director(s) is considered indefinite until such time as the person assuming that position is either (1) removed from that position by a majority vote of all Club members, (2) leaves the Club membership or (3) steps down on his own behalf, or in the case of Contest Director(s), is relinquished of his duties by the AMA.

DIRECTORS: If deemed necessary by the Club, a Board of Directors can be petitioned into action at any time by an active Club Member making the motion of such petition, said motion being properly seconded and followed by a two-thirds majority approval of active members present.

If initiated, the Board of Directors shall be made up of at least four active members, the three most senior active members of the Club shall then automatically be eligible to act as Directors and the fourth shall be elected from the membership at large every year. Election of the fourth Director shall be held as set forth in Article II below.

It shall be the duty of the Directors to be present at meetings of the Officers and add depth to their deliberations. While not actual Officers, the Directors will each have an equal voice in an Officers meeting, The Directors shall not function independently from the Club Officers. No Officers or Director of the Club shall receive remuneration of any kind for their service.

Article III. ELECTIONS

An annual meeting will be held in December of each year, at which time elections will be held and a summary of the Club’s activities for the past year will be read.

Officers (and elected Directors) shall be elected by ballot of the active members at the annual December meeting and they shall assume office the first day of the following month.

The President shall not succeed himself/herself in office more than twice. Filling an unexpired term shall be considered one term in office unless that term is of less than six (6) month’s duration.

Should any officer resign during the year, the President shall appoint a member of the Club to assume the vacant office on a temporary basis and order the Club Secretary to send notice to the members of a special elections to be held at the next regular Club meeting, when the vacancy can be filled by proper nomination and election.

Article IV. RECALL

By petition signed by at least sixty-six (66) per-cent of the active members in good standing, and filed with the Secretary, demand may be made by the Membership for the recall and removal from office of any Officer (or Director). Such petition shall be voted on at a special meeting called for that purpose or at a regular meeting, and such recall and removal from office may be effected by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the active members present. The petition for recall shall state the reasons therefore. The office of such Officer (or Director) so removed shall be considered vacant and shall be filled in the same manner as if an Officer (or Director) had resigned as set forth in Article II above.

Article V. RESTRICTION OF USE OF CLUB NAME

No business may be conducted in the name of the Club except by its Officers or with their express permission.

No member may use the name of the Club for personal gain or profit.

Article VI. MEMBERSHIP

A potential Club member must be a Radio Control Helicopter Pilot (or an enthusiast with intentions of learning to fly rotary wing models), and be familiar with and accept the By-Laws of the Cascade Model Helicopter Club before being considered as a Club Member.

Upon receiving a completed application for Club Membership, proof of current AMA membership and payment of the Club’s dues, applicants will be invited to participate in Club activities. After an appropriate length of time of getting to know the applicant, the Club will vote on acceptance or rejection of said application. If rejected by the Club, the applicant will be provided with the appropriate explanation and will be entitled to a full refund of all monies paid.

All members must conform to all Safety Rules of the AMA, both currently in force or as amended by the Club. It is the individual’s responsibility to become familiar with these Rules and Regulations and the Club assumes no responsibility to inform new or prospective members of these Rules and Regulations.

Any member or applicant who disregards the AMA Rules of the Club or the By-Laws of the Club, will be subject to expulsion from the Club and all associated activities, but only after a full hearing has been conducted
by the Club Officers (and Board of Directors) concerning all allegations against said applicant or member.

The membership structure of the Club allows for a member to be either an Active Member or an Associate Member.

Active Members shall be defined as any individual who has a valid and current AMA card and who has paid his annual Cascade Model Helicopter Club dues in full and who is eighteen (18) years or more of age.

Associate Members shall be defined as any individual who has paid a small associate members fee and will receive the Club’s newsletter only. Anyone under eighteen (18) years of age may be a Junior Associate Member for one half of the Associate Member fee and will receive the Club’s newsletter only.

Junior Members shall be defined as any individual who is under eighteen (18) years of age, and has a valid and current AMA card and who has paid his annual Cascade Model Helicopter Club dues in full.

Club dues for Junior Members are to be one-half of the adult active member rate until their eighteenth (18th) birthday. Junior members shall not be entitled to vote in Club elections of any sort.

Junior Members must be sponsored by an active adult member of the Club. Any Junior Member must be accompanied by an adult club member at the Club’s flying site.

Associate Members, Junior Members and non-dues paying members will have no vote in Club affairs and their presence will not be counted during such proceedings.

Senior Citizens over 62 years of age may apply for a 50% reduction of their dues, provided they are on a fixed income and are not gainfully employed. The 50% reduction applies to both active and associate membership status.

Any member who has not paid Club dues will be prohibited from using the Club’s flying site. It shall be the duty of the Officers (and Directors) of the Club to either act as a committee or to appoint a committee to make recommendations to be voted on by the Membership of the Club concerning membership requirements, limitations, restrictions and dues. The proposals or recommendations may be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of active members present.

Article VII. AMA MEMBERSHIP

It will be the personal responsibility of each Club member to maintain current membership in the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics), to ensure their concurrent eligibility for Club Membership and to be afforded the liability insurance and other benefits the AMA provides to it’s members.

Cascade Model Helicopter Club membership is automatically cancelled upon the expiration of any individual’s AMA membership.

It will be the responsibility of the Club Officer who accepts a Club Membership renewal application and appropriate renewal dues to personally verify and ensure that the individual member does in fact have a current and paid up AMA Card for the year in question.

Article VIII. FINANCING

Annual membership is the period from April 1st through March 31st of the following year. Annual dues will be collected from all Club members, payable during the month of March, for the upcoming year.

Special assessments may be voted, subject to a two-thirds majority approval of active members attending a regular or special meeting.

Expenditures may be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of active members present at a regular meeting of any amount not to exceed the balance of the Club treasury. This section does not apply to normal club expenditures necessary for the continued operation of the Club or the Club flying site, such as;

(1) Payment for the Club’s annual AMA Charter and Liability Insurance fees and payment of any AMA Sanction Fee for a scheduled Club event.

(2) Materials and Supplies needed for the monthly publication, distribution and mailing of the Club Newsletter or other notices sent to Club Members.

(3) Expense for supplies and postage of mail necessary for the execution of the duties of the Club
Secretary, the Club Treasurer and the Editor of the Club Newsletter.

(4) Other minute and routine payments of debts accrued by the Club; (such as rental fees or lease payments imposed by a flying site land owner), such debt being previously approved by the aforementioned two-thirds majority vote of active members present.

Article IX. MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS

A muffler or noise limiting device is required on all model engines as recommended by the AMA. (Sound pressure level and frequency characteristics will be determined at a later date.)

Radio equipment will be operated only in accordance with current Federal and local laws. All 72 Mhz radio equipment used to model flying must be RCMA/AMA certified 1991 Narrow Band (Gold Stickered).

Any instance of verified radio interference will be reported immediately to the Club Officers (or Directors).

The flying site will always be left clean and in good condition.

Safety Rules will be obeyed and posted at the flying site and will be binding on ALL fliers.

The Flying Field Rules of the Club are a separate document from these By-Laws and, as such, can be modified at the discretion of the Club Officers; based on recommendations of the Safety Officer and/or Safety Committee.

Article X. COMMITTEES

The President shall be empowered to appoint special committees as he deems necessary at any time, or, upon the majority vote of the members at any meeting, he shall appoint committees as they direct.

Article XI. AMENDMENT

These By-Laws may be amended at any meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of active members present.

Article XII. PROCEDURAL AUTHORITY

Robert’s Rules of Order will be the authority on all matters of procedure not covered in this, the Club’s By-Laws (or Constitution).

Article XIII. SUSPENSION OF BY-LAWS

These By-Laws may be suspended at any Club meeting by unanimous vote of active members present.

Article XIV. ORGANIZATION DISSOLUTION AND DISPOSITION

Section 1. DISSOLUTION

The Corporation may be dissolved with the approval of a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of both the total membership and the Organization Directors. Members shall be duly notified of such a vote. Absentee ballots will be sent to those members unable to attend. If a majority of both the membership and the directors are not reached, then the motion to dissolve will have failed.

In the event that the membership level has dwindled to zero or only the Founding Directors remain, the Founding directors shall have the authority to dissolve the corporation and dispose of its assets according to the terms in section 2 of this article.

Section 2. DISPOSITION

It is expressly understood that this organization is a non-profit corporation organized under the non-profit Corporation Laws of the State of Washington and upon dissolution, none of its assets shall inure to the benefit of any individual Member but shall be distributed to the Academy of Model Aeronautics or to such other fund or foundation operating under sections 501(c)3 or 501(c)7 of the IRS Code and as designated by the Board of Directors, whose property is dedicated to the exempt purposes as are specified in the Revised Code of Washington.

Article XV. CERTIFICATION

The undersigned official of the above non-profit organization hereby certifies that the foregoing are true and correct copies of the By-Laws of the Cascade Model Helicopter Club.